Greek Truckers are Back to Work Again
After the government warned truckers to revoke their licenses and commanded the armed forces to deliver fuel to power plants and hospitals. Boycotting Greek truck drivers decided to cease a week-long walkout, bringing to an end one of the intense tests of the government's aggressive reconstruction agenda.
After a grueling four-hour meeting late Sunday, umbrella truckers union of Greece, the Federation of Overland Commercial Transporters, painstakingly voted to cease their strike and made public that its members would go back to work starting early Monday.
Federation President Giorgos Tzortzatos stated, "We have made our decision with a sense of responsibility and taking into account the problems the strike action has caused." He also added that the union now hopes for the government to lift an emergency back-to-work order in reciprocation for the union's calling off its protest.
Fuel problem eased further last Sunday as some haulers abide with the government's work order early before the union's vote. The military extended their services to resupply fuel to hospitals, power plants, and airports around the country.
The Greek government declared an abrupt statement affirming it is determined to carry on with legislative plans to reconstruct the trucking sector. "The transport market will open, this reform is necessary for the economy and the citizens and for that reason the legislation will go forward," according in the statement.
Due to the July 25 Greek trucker's strike, the country suffered serious fuel shortages. Thousands of holiday travelers and businesses got shrouded with misery, and the strike further dented the country's image ... in the midst of its momentous summer tourist season.
The government retaliated by applying its capacity under the constitution to intimidate the truckers back to work and, late Friday, dispatched the army and navy to distribute fuel supplies after the union challenged the earlier work order.
There were more than 200 private fuel truck drivers who broke ranks with the union and returned to work, distributing fuel supplies under police protection, last Saturday. These drivers feared severe criminal penalties that the government might impose to them. Not to mention that their licenses might get revoked.
According to the state-owned NET television's report, there were more than 250 filling stations around the greater Athens area that had been resupplied before end of Saturday.
With the reason that they had not been notified by the authorities, most union members preferred to ignore the emergency mobilization order issued by the government last Thursday and continued with their strike.
Simeon Asimakos, a lorry driver from northern Greece said, Were going back to work because people are starting to suffer from food and fuel shortages, not because of political threats.
The strike concluded the same time the 30-strong team from the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund brought to a close its week-long mission to evaluate development on fiscal and structural reforms before dispensing a 9 billion loan tranche.
The so-called troika is understood to have pressured for breakneck liberalization of product and service markets. The next round of liberalization will include lawyers, pharmacists, notaries, accountants, civil engineers, and architects.
